RHCB BLOG TOUR: Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Random House Children's Books for blog tour celebrating the latest release from author Wendelin Van Draanen. It's a work of Middle Grade Fiction that deals with some heavy issues giving it much more heft than its light cover would have you believe. I'll tell you this though... you're in for one heck if a story. Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

Wild Bird

by

Wendelin Van Draanen

9781101940440



Random House Children's Books

About the book...

In her most incisive and insightful book yet, Wendelin Van Draanen, award-winning author of The Running Dream and Flipped, offers a remarkable portrait of a girl who has hit rock bottom, but begins a climb back to herself at a wilderness survival camp in the desert.

3:47 a.m. That’s when they come for Wren Clemmens. She’s hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who’ve gone so far off the rails, their parents don’t know what to do with them anymore. This is wilderness therapy camp. Eight weeks of survivalist camping in the desert. Eight weeks to turn your life around. Yeah, right.

The Wren who arrives in the Utah desert is angry and bitter, and blaming everyone but herself. But angry can’t put up a tent. And bitter won’t start a fire. Wren’s going to have to admit she needs help if she’s going to survive.

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A moving tale that'll rip your heart out, trounce it a time or two, and help you find the scattered pieces to create a masterpiece that is all YOU.

Wren (and her family, for that matter) do not have an easy time of things. There's physical moves, social climbing, and what should have been new beginnings...that just didn't turn out the way they should of. Seeking acceptance outside of herself, Wren falls in with the wrong crowd...and without a solid support system, she's almost lost to them all. It's not that her family wasn't there, it's just that they were being "doing them" until the point of almost no return was reached for our little bird.  Good thing they weren't ready to give up on her...and despite the fact she's dragged kicking and screaming into the desert to face goodness only knows what with who knows who, that lack of kid gloves may be just what the doctor ordered. The requirement of depending on herself as well as learning to say "yes, I need help" are just a few of the keys to unlocking her past, understanding her present, and realizing her future.

In the end, it's truly a journey of heart, mind, and soul, that leads to surprising realizations for Wren (and the Grizzly Girls) ... but will also serve to spark necessary conversations in our own here and now. It reminds us that while we are traveling our own paths, we are never truly alone. Great read for Middle Grade fans and beyond for the story itself as well as the messages it brings.

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About the author...

Wendelin Van Draanen has written more than thirty novels for young readers and teens. She is the author of the 18-book Edgar-winning Sammy Keyes series, and wrote Flipped which was named a Top 100 Children’s Novel for the 21st Century by SLJ, and became a Warner Brothers feature film with Rob Reiner directing. Her novel The Running Dream was awarded ALA’s Schneider Family Award for its portrayal of the disability experience.

Van Draanen is also the author of two short chapter-book series. The Gecko & Sticky books, are fun read-alouds, perfect for reluctant readers, and the Shredderman books—featuring a boy who deals with a bully—received the Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit” and became a Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie.

Van Draanen was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. She and her husband reside in California and have two sons.

SITE  |  TWITTER

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Special thanks to Marisa at Random House Children's Books for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY September 5th, 2017, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Still waters run deep... Moon River by Amber Tran

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the spotlight on a Young Adult title that while a work of Fiction, takes its cues from actual events that occurred around West Virginia.  Curious?  You should be...but before we fully begin, I must warn you...there are dark times ahead.  As the title of my post implies, still waters run deep and the journey through the pages you are embarking on is much more than the sum of its title and cutesy cover.  Ladies and gents, please direct your attention to today's ebook of choice...

Moon River

by

Amber Tran

9781945619007

Little Creek Books

About the book...

In this debut novel from author Amber D. Tran, a tale of adolescence and heartbreak unfolds. Nine-year-old Abigail Kavanagh first meets Ryan Mills during the summer of 1999. A shy and awkward boy, Ryan hides behind his wide-framed glasses while Abigail is determined to learn everything there is to know about him. The next few summers are filled with birthday parties, adventures in and around the West Virginian mountainsides, and late night conversations where they share their most secretive and personal thoughts.

Their friendship starts to crumble when Abigail befriends the attractive and musical Lilly Anderson, a girl who is also interested in uncovering the mysterious nature surrounding Ryan. However, everything comes to an end the summer of 2004, and Abigail must decide if her new journey is worth traveling alone.

AUTHOR'S SITE

 AMAZON  |  B&N  |  BAM

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A curious read indeed that deals with some VERY heavy topics, so I certainly agree with some of the other reviews I read about it being more than it seemed.  I quite literally went in with my eyes closed and while it may have colored my experience, it still produced quite an impact. That being said...

It's hard to truly rate a story like this that deals in death, darkness, depression, delusion, drugs, and other activities that are meant to cause self harm yet ripple effect out to so many more. I mean, the lives shown here could have been anyone, anywhere, even those you know having similar outcomes or perhaps lucking out with an intervention arriving at just the right moment to sway final decisions... so simply saying "I loved it" or "I loathed it" doesn't seem to cut the mustard.  In lieu of a severe decision in either direction, let me share what moved, touched, or otherwise struck me as I was exploring these epages...

I appreciated the way the author broached the issues the characters were dealing with in their teen years.  While it is hard for anyone to talk about things they are going through, it seems that much harder in our youth as we're just discovering who we are and trying so desperately to find our place.  When we progressed in years in the story, so did the author in how she addressed the changes occurring...sharing with some friends but still not those in authority or parental roles...including the brick wall that couldn't seemed to be broken through to reach them with more than simply sage advice. She gave those who've lost their voice a chance to find it once again and see that there is another way, there are people who can/will help, and no one is truly alone if they only reach out. However, there were parts that I couldn't quite reconcile.  I struggled with the disturbing sexual aspects introduced with characters so very young... pedophiles, odd "join our group" initiations (WTH?  Do kids really DO things like that?  Boy was I sheltered!), and experimenting (drugs, sex, limits, you name it)...it just seemed like one too many elements for a story, let alone this group, when they were already dealing with so many.  Can that happen in real life?  Yes...I'm sure it does, but for a work of Fiction, or this one in particular, it felt like the last straw added to the camel's back.

In the end, it was still a page turner despite the extreme lack of actual happy endings in sight, but it does splash a cold dose of reality in the face of those that perhaps find it hard to imagine these things transpiring. Yes, it's fiction, but it could just as easily NOT be. Something to think about the next time you notice someone having a rough time of things...there may be more there than you think.

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About the author...

Born and raised in the heart of the Appalachia, Amber spent her childhood growing up on gravel roads and playing Pokémon Red on her Game Boy Color. At the age of 10, she discovered her fascination with creative writing and turned a 1-page homework assignment into a 35-page document for her 5th grade teacher. Less than a year later, she wrote her very first book about a female basketball player with leukemia. She will spare you the pain from having to read it.

After graduating Magna Cum Laude from West Virginia University in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a concentration in creative writing, Amber moved to northern Alabama. She married her husband after meeting him in a Dragon Ball Z chat room. She is currently employed as a senior technical writer and Scrum Master for a software company. In her free time, she enjoys playing League of Legends and meeting with girlfriends at Café 153.

Amber is part of the West Virginia Writers Group, Inc., the Alabama Writers’ Forum, and the Alabama Writers Conclave. She is also the Editor-in-Chief for the Cold Creek Review literary journal. Her work has been featured in Sonic Boom Journal, Spry Literary Journal, Cheat River Review, Speculative 66, Visitant Literary Journal, HeartWood Literary Magazine, and more.

Amber currently lives in Alabama with her husband and two dogs, Ahri and Ziggs.

Moon River is her first novel.

She is represented by Jan-Carol Publishing, Ardent Writer Press, and Shanti Arts Publishing.

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Special thanks to author Amber Tran for the ebook for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, or the author, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title was released September 2016 via Little Creek Books, an imprint of Jan-Carol Publishing, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Henry & Me by Sasha Clinton

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

I know, I know...another post?  Yep, another post.  What can I say?  There are just SO MANY amazing books out there to discover that sometimes a little over scheduling may occur.  No worries.  It just means YOU have more to read when you visit.  ^-^  Anywho...

Today, we're shining the light on the latest title from a new-to-me author.  It's a Contemporary Romance that tries to play matchmaker with a wannabe starlet and an engineering brain...with interesting results.  Ready to discover the molecular weight of uranium?  No?  Oh good, because that's SO not why I'm here...but if you're ready to meet today's book of choice, it'll appear below in 3...2...1...

Henry & Me

by

Sasha Clinton

9781548164867

About the book...

When we were in college, Henry Stone asked me out and I shot him down in the most humiliating way possible.  He was a nerd and I was the golden girl of the theatre society, destined to make it big in Hollywood, so how could there be anything between us?

Now six years later, as an out-of-work actress who has to take on a housekeeping job to stay afloat, I run into him again—and boy, has he made it big.  As I begin to clean his house and take care of his precocious nephew, I realize how wrong I was about him. He’s sexy, smart, kind, everything I never though he would be. 

But I have demons that he can’t fight. Demons that keep me away from love.
One thing’s for sure: This housekeeper-gig is going to be the hardest role of my life.

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Sometimes things aren't what they seem...and then there are other times when they are EXACTLY what they seem, no matter how much you wish they weren't.  Such is the case with Henry & Me...or rather Henry and Max...

The latter part of that statement is how we begin...in high school with different areas of interest and one crushing on the other, in this case he on she because while the limelight loves her, he's more of a background attention non-seeker.  Too bad because he's really a great guy and Max, well...honestly, she had her head too far in the clouds to even know which way was up or down.  Really, I could not have cared less about her...she was THAT irritating.  *ugh*  Henry, on the other hand, I had a soft spot for.  He seemed nice, kind, and it took real gumption to approach Max one-on-one.  I felt for him when he left "her majesty's presence" wounded...but cheered madly when we flashed forward to the here and now.  Why the change in emotions?  For one thing, he did well for himself and deserves the cheering.  Secondly, the proverbial tables have been turned, but he still has that heart of gold and chooses to not lord  his change in status over the fallen, in this case Max.  Good thing too because her non-star status isn't a matter of a lack of talent, but of an unfortunate choice along the way that let darkness into her life, changing her from a confident star in the making to someone who second guesses almost everything, including matters of the heart.

The path these two take from teen years to adulthood is riddled with more potholes than a road crew could ever fix.  From partner abuse to rejection, unfulfilled dreams to health scares, there are many more facets to this story than at first you might glean.  On the other hand, there was some disconnect for me with Max and the events she endured, as well as the relationship (or lack thereof) between her and Henry.  I just never fully settled into a good relationship with everyone in order to be fully content.  Still, it had its merits and moments...especially some of the side characters like Lucien (the little devil/angel!)...so there is definitely something there. 

In the end, it was unusual in the pairing, yet had a good bit of character growth shown, along with some unexpected dark issues stared down, but I'm not certain I was fully sold. What will you discover between the pages?  Only one person can answer that.... ^-^

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About the author...

Sasha Clinton discovered romance novels at the age of thirteen and has been addicted to the genre ever since. After getting a degree in Chemical Engineering and realizing that there was no way she could ever be an engineer, she decided to follow her passion and write romance novels. Sasha has lived in New Delhi, Melbourne, Manchester and Boston and continues to move frequently. But wherever she is, she’s hard at work on her next book. 

SITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK

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Special thanks to author Sasha Clinton for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or her other works, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now in "e" and "tree" formats, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to order your copy today.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!